Nervous system

nervous
system

central
nervous
system

brain

spinal cord

peripheral
nervous
system

central
nerves and
spinal
nerves

Nervous system in mammals

It consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
a. Central nervous system
It is made up of the brain and spinal cord
It receives and integrates impulses from the receptors and then relay them to the
effector organs
It is a centre of co-ordination
b. Peripheral nervous system
It is made up of the sensory nerves and transmits nerve impulses from the receptors in
the sensory organs to the central nervous system to the motor nerves that transmit
impulses from the central nervous system to the effector organs
Structure and function of the nerve cell
Nerve cell or neuron is the basic functional unit of the nervous system
It is a cell modified to transmit impulses
A nerve impulse is an electrical signal that is transmitted along a nerve fibre
The neuron consists of a cell body (centron) and extensions called dendrites
Dendrites are elongated to form an axon
Each axon is filled with a specialized cytoplasm called exoplasm which is usually
continuous with the cytoplasm of the cell body
Axon is enclosed by a fatty sheath called myelin or medullated sheath
The myelin sheath is surrounded by the nurrilema which is the membrane of the
Schwann-cell but lies in intimate contact with axon
Node ranvier breaks in intervals by the myelin sheath at one millimeter intervals

The rodes of the ranvia help to propagate the nerve impulses and speed up the
transmission of an impulse
The myelin sheath helps to insulate the axon
The neurons are described as unipolar , bipolar or multipolar according to how many
dendrites prose from the cell body
Types of neurons
I.
Sensory neurons
II.
Motor neurons
III.
Relay neurons
Sensory neurons
They link the sensal organs e.g. ears, eyes, skin, nose and tongue
Its work is to transmit nerve impulses from the sensal organs to the central nervous
system
Motor neurons
Links the central nervous system with the effectors such as muscle fibres and glands
It transmits nerve impulses from the central nervous system to the effectors
Relay neurons
The neuron links a sensory nerve with motor neurons through small maps or neural
junctions called synapses
They relay nerve impulses from the central nervous systems to the effectors
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is composed by the brain and spinal cord and their associated
nerves
The brain
The brain is a delicate nervous organ enclosed in a bonny structure called skull or
cranium
It is enveloped by a system of enclosed membranes called meninges
The meninges consist of the pia, dura, and arachnoid
The dura matter is the tough outer membrane covering the brain and spinal cord of
vertebrates.
It is composed of the connective tissue and a rich network of capillaries
The pia matter is the innermost membrane covering the brain and spinal cord
It possess many blood capillaries and lymph vessels
Arachnoid layer is a narrow space between the dura and pia matter
It is filled with cerebrospinal fluid from which oxygen and nutrients diffuse in it
Cerebrospinal fluid found in the cavities system (ventricles) provides nourishment to the
brain tissue and acts as a shock absorber for mechanical damage
Functions of major parts of the brain
The fore brain
Consists of the cerebrum, the thalamus, the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland
It is important in integration of sensory impulses e.g. : visions, haring and taste
It controls voluntary body movements e.g.: limbs, lips and neck

It controls learning memory and human individuality

It contains receptors of pain and pleasure
It has receptors for homeostatic functions such as osmoregulation and thermoregulation.
It controls sleep and appetite
Pituitary gland is attached to the hypothalamus and projects downwards from it
It is the master endocrine gland controlling the rest of the endocrine glands
The mid brain
It is also known as the corpora quadrigemia
It is the connecting stem between the fore brain and the hind brain
It relays impulses between nerves from the spinal cord and fore brain
The hind brain
The major parts of the hind brain are cerebellum and medulla oblongata
The cerebellum main function is maintenance of body balance and posture. This is
achieved by controlling and coordinating muscular movements
Medulla oblongata controls involuntary activities such as breathing, swallowing,
salivation, vomiting.
It controls dilation or constriction of blood vessels thereby influencing blood pressure
Cranial nerves
They arise from the brain and form part of the peripheral nerve system associated with
receptors and effectors in the head
In human beings, there are twelve pairs of cranial nerves confined to the head and neck
Examples include: optic, auditory, olfactory and facial nerves
They consist of sensory and motor nerves
The tenth cranial nerves the vagus nerve innervates the heart, lungs, diaphragm and the
gut
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is the posterior extension from the brain to the tail
It is enclosed in meninges and protected by the vertebral column
It is made up of grey matter and white matter
The grey matter is H- shaped and surrounds the central canal which is filled with
cerebrospinal fluid
The grey matter relays information between sensory and motor neurons. It consists of the
cell bodies and dendrites. These give it its dark appearance hence the name grey matter.
The white matter surrounds the grey matter which consists of axons of sensory and motor
neurons. The myelin gives it its shiny white appearance. Dorsal and ventral rods of the
spinal nerves arise from the spinal cord. Spinal nerves innervate the skeletal muscles of
the limbs and trunk. Together with the cranial nerves, they control all organs below the
head eg: urinary bladder, the liver, kidney and lungs.